Air-compressor.



Patented Oct. 24, I899.

No. 635,5l6.

J. P. SIMMONS. AIR COMPRESSOR.

(Application flledTeb. 15, 1897.)

(No Model.)

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sew-ea {HE/6% K WASHINGYON a c UNirnn STATES JOHN P. SIMMONS, OF SANFRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO SQUIRE V. MOONEY, OF SAME PLACE.

AER-COMPRESSOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 635,516, dated October24, 1899.

Application filed February 15, 1897. Serial No. 623,488. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may 00nccrn:

Be it known that I, JOHN P. SIMMONS, a

citizen of the United States, residing in the.

city and county of San Francisco and'State of California, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Air-Compressors,of which the followingis a specification.

My invention relates to the class of devices for compressing air andother gaseous fluids.

It consists in the novel construction, arrangement, and combination ofthe several parts which I shall hereinafter fully describe andspecifically claim.

The object of my invention is to provide a compressor of simpleconstruction which shall be effective in operation. This I accomplish bymeans of the devices illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 shows a longitudinal section of the compressor-cylinder. Fig. 2shows a crosssection of cylinder.

Referring to the drawings, A is a doublewalled compressor cylinder, thespace between the double Walls forming a water space or jacket for thecirculation of cooling-water. An inlet-port A is provided, locatedapproximately midway of the length of the cylinder. For convenience ofillustration but one end of the cylinder is shown in Fig. 1, the otherend being practically identical in construc-' tion.

B is a head suitably secured to the cylin It is also double walled toprovide for.

der. a water-jacket. Free communication is provided between thewater-jacket of the head with that of the cylinder for circulating thecooling-water. Suitable valve-controlled outlets, one of which is shownat b, are provided in each head for the exit of the compressed airseparated from the water-jacket by suitable partitions.

C is a cage-piston formed of two plates 6 c, separated by a distanceapproximately equal to the stroke. The plates 0 c are rigidly connectedby any suitable connection. One such is shown in the drawings as castbraces c 0. Both ends of the cage-piston being alike a description ofone will suffice. When the parts are assembled, 0 comprises apiston-head provided with a circumferential groove 0 for the receptionof packing-rings. It also has recessed into its outer face an approximately concentric annular groove 0 and it 'is provided with an annularvalve-controlled port or passage 0, extending through from side to sideof the piston-head c, of smaller diameter and concentric to groove 0 Anannular ring-valve D of L-section controls the port or passage 0 Itcomprises a flat ring sufficiently wide to cover the port .0 and extendto the groove 0 The ring-valve D is provided with a short annular stemd, which projects into and is guided by the groove 0 The stem d isprovided at its inner end with a radially-projecting shoulder or flange01 Close to the ringD it is provided with perforations d for the freeexit of air. It may also have suitable packing, as indicated at (1Forming a part of pistonhead a is a detachable ring or annulus capproximately equal in exterior diameter with the piston-head. A portionof the inner surface of the ring 0 forms a portion of thecircumferential packing-ring groove 0 and the inner circular face of thering forms one side of the annular groove 0 and, being of somewhatsmaller internal diameter than the external diameter of groove proper, 0projects over shoulder 01 thus forming a stop to limit the motion ofannular valve D.

The operation of the device is as follows: The piston is assumed to bejust finishing its stroke to the right, as represented in Fig. 1. Accessof air or gas to be compressed is free at all times from the inlet-portA to the interior of the cylinder A between the'heads c c of thecage-piston C. Consequently as the piston moves to the right air willpass freely through the annular port in the left pistonhead into thecylinder beyond the piston. Having finished this forward stroke andstart ed back, the rear valve D closes and the forward one opens,admitting air into the forward end of the cylinder and, compressing theair contained in the rear portion of the cyl- 9 inder, forces it throughthe valve-controlled outlet 1) to a receiver or other desired place.This operation is repeated with each stroke of the piston. Thereciprocation of the piston is effected by any suitable power deviceapplied to the piston-rod E, which is securely attached to thecage-piston.

The construction illustrated and herein described accomplishes severalvery desirable results in a simple and effective manner. It is desirablein this class of devices that the heat generated by compression shouldbe removed as quickly as possible from the walls of the cylinder. Inthis device cold air has free access to a much larger proportion of theinner surface of the cylinder than in the case of a single-pistoncompressor.

Another desirable result of the present eonstruetion is that the inletis adapted to the attachment of a pipe whereby compounding is readilyaccomplished; also, gases or cold air can be led from receptacles orother sources at a distance, results difficult, if not impossible, incompressors in which multiple inlets are placed in the cylinder-heads.

It is extremely desirable that the inlet of air shall be as free andunobstructed as possible. This is obtained in the present device by theinlet A and the construction of the pistonheads c c and valve Dpermitting the free and full opening of the annular port 0'. The openingof valve D is immediate and automatic at the commencement of the returnstroke by the expanding of the small body of compressed air forced inbehind the valvestem (Z during its previous stroke. The perforations (1permit free passage of air with a small lift of the valve.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosccu re by Letters Patent, is

1. Acompressoreomprisingacylinderhaving suitable outlets, a cage-pistontherein provided with a valve-controlled port in each end thereofcommunicating with the interior of the cylinder on opposite sides, andan annular recess or pocket exterior to and separate from said port, inwhich the stem of the valve is guided.

2. A compressor comprising a cylinder having suitable outlets and aninlet-port approximately midway of the ends, a piston therein having avalve-controlled port in each of its faces and an annular recess orpocket, exterior to and separate from said port, in which the valve-stemis located and guided.

A compressor comprising a cylinder having a valve-controlled outlet ateach end and an air-inlet intermediate thereof, a piston therein havinga through-passage and a ringvalve on each face, controlling the oppositeends of said passage, the stem of which is guided in an annular recessor pocket exterior to and separate from the passage.

l. The combination with the piston of a compressor having an annularport of a ringvalve controlling the port, said valve having a stemprojecting into a recess or pocket in the piston exterior to andseparate from the port.

5. The combination with the piston of a compressor having an annularpassage, of a ring-valve controlling the passage having an annular stemprojecting within the body of the piston and provided with a radialprojection, and a ring detachably secured to the piston adapted toengage with the radial projection whereby the movement of the valve islimited.

(3. The combination with the piston of a compressor having an annularport of a ring valve the stem of which forms an annular piston in arecess or pocket whereby air forced into said pocket by previouscompression assists the operation of the valve.

JOHN P. SIMMONS.

Vitnesses:

Faaxcas E. BROWN, E. S. HARRISON.

